Mar 13, 2012

For the second year in a row, the San Dimas Stage Race is the first event on my calendar.  I'll be flying in to Los Angeles, California tomorrow afternoon to meet up with some of my Optum Pro Cycling teammates.  Our roster is made up of 12 girls.  6 to 8 girls participate in each race.  Some of my teammates like Carmen and Janel are racing in Europe on National Team projects, so I'll see them again at another event later on instead.

I'm lucky because I don't have to haul my bike across the country for the 2012 season.  I have an Orbea Orca to train on at home, and the team keeps my race bikes (a time trial bike, and an Orbea Orca race bike set up identical to my training bike) with them.  I can leave my Kinetic trainers at home because the team will have a supply of them for us to use when we're warming up for prologues, time trials, and criteriums.

So what am I packing in my THULE luggage this time around?

-Riding gear for all weather, because even though I'll be going to California, it's still spring.  From Champion Systems legwarmers and arm warmers, to the ultra light summer jerseys...
-Lazer helmet and glasses. 
-Quarq powermeter (I want to make sure I get it installed on my new racebike that I have yet to be aquainted with) and my computer to make sure I have something to read the data on while I ride!
-Emergency food like smoked herring, magic oatmeal, and some almonds.  I know I'll always have fuel wherever I am.  I'll beat those pricy airport cafés at their own game...
-plastic container to store my cooked rice in.  Cooking rice takes a while, so I like doing it in batches.  I need a place to put it before my next meal though!
-magic coffee.  (Magic coffee = instant coffee.  It's mainly what I drink when I'm on the road for racing.  It makes me appreciate the rich crema on my espressos when I get home just that much more.)

My Mom is flying in to stay at my place for a few days while I'll be racing.  I'll be missing out on the RedBull Crashed Ice event in the Vieux Québec, but she'll be here to enjoy it!  Don't bring any strangers back home.  Anybody else have advice for house rules that I should post for her arrival?

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